River: Ghosts Of Our Fathers Part 18

Chapter Fourteen.

Roy found himself standing behind a bush in David Hall's backyard. David was swinging in a tire that hung from a large tree. They were 30 feet from the back of the house. Roy couldn't see any signs of movement in it. Charles, my grandfather, lives in there, he thought. And my grandmother, Leone. She always kept a sharp eye out the kitchen window. I'll have to be careful.

Beside him, in the flow, was a presence monitoring his actions. When Roy had released and invoked the demon, it asked for payment, and Roy explained his plan. The demon agreed to the plan, but said if anything went wrong, he'd take Roy as payment. Roy reluctantly agreed, and seconds later, Roy was in 1933.

Time to wing it, Roy thought. Just call the boy over.

"Davy," Roy said. "Come here."

David stopped swinging in the tire and turned to look at the source of the voice. "Who are you, mister?" He climbed off the swing and started walking in Roy's direction.

"I have something important I need to talk to you about," Roy said. "But it's a secret, so come over here and I'll tell you."

Roy guessed the 1933 mores hadn't yet made every young boy suspicious of older men. In that era, children did what they were told by any adult, family or not. He was also counting on Davy's gift to help him believe what he had to tell him.

David walked over to Roy. Roy stopped him when he was about three feet from the bush.

"Grandma Leone might be watching, so stop there, and turn away from the kitchen window," Roy said.

"Grandma Leone?" David said. "You mean my mama?"

"Yes," Roy said, "your mama."

"So what's the secret, mister?" David turned his back to the kitchen window, picked up a stick, and began drawing figures in the dirt.

"You know how you sometimes can see or feel things other people can't?" Roy said.

"Yeah," David said, "so?"

"Well, I can too," Roy said. "Your father can, too, right?"

"I think so," David said. "But he doesn't talk about it."

"Right. Do you suppose, if you ever have a son, you'd talk about it with him?"

"Sure," David said. "I'd tell him everything."

"You're going to grow up and get married, and have a son."

"Of course I will, that's what everybody does."

"And your son will have the same gift as you, and you will share it with him when he's your age."

David looked puzzled. "Who are you, mister? Is that the secret?"

"No, that's not the secret. The secret is extremely important, because it's going to save the life of your friends."

"My friends?"

"Sean and Garth."

"Oh, them. Yes, they're my friends."

"In about five or ten minutes, Garth is going to come over here, wanting you to follow him back to their garage. When you get there, you'll see that Sean has been beaten up by his father, Frank. You know Frank."

"I sure do." A look of worry crossed David's face.

"When you follow Garth across the street and into the garage, a boy inside the garage is going to give you things to help Sean and Garth get rid of Frank. This is the secret, Davy: you must not get rid of Frank that way. You must not. You have to get rid of him another way."

"What do you mean, get rid of him?"

"You'll understand when the boy explains it to you. But remember the secret I'm telling you, Davy. You must not get rid of Frank the way the boy tells you to."

"Why not?"

"Because if you do, horrible things will happen later. I've seen what happens. You must not do it."

"You had a vision?"

"In a way, yes. Horrible things happen to your son, your grandson, even your great-grandson if you do what the boy tells you."

"So what do I do?"

"The boy is going to tell you to give two items to Sean and Garth, along with some instructions. I want you to pocket the items, then take Sean and Garth out of the garage where the boy can't hear you, and tell them instead to bring Frank into the garage. When Frank comes into the garage, you need to kill him."

"Kill him? I'm no killer, mister."

"I know, but you must. If Frank stays alive, Sean and Garth will die, he'll beat them to death. Can you imagine that?"

David shook his head no.

"Will you do it?"

"I don't know. Won't I go to jail?"

"Not if it was self-defense, which you'll claim. Sean and Garth will back you up."

"How would I kill him?"

"You know where your father keeps his guns, don't you?"

"Yes, they're easy to find."

"You'll take his pistol and use that."

David was thinking, his brow furrowing. "Who's that with you?"

He definitely has the gift, Roy thought. Sensing the demon without entering the flow.

"He made it possible for me to have the vision and to tell you about it, before it was too late. Without him I wouldn't have been able to warn you, to save Sean and Garth."

"I don't know mister, Frank's a bad man and all that, but killing him, I don't know."

"You want to be a father, don't you, son?"

"Sure I do. Someday."

"Then think of your children. Your sons. Do you know why they're in danger?"

"No."

"Because if you help Sean and Garth use the objects the boy gives you, Frank's soul will be trapped for several years. But he knows you helped them do it. And Frank gets out of the trap, eventually. When he does, he comes after your kids. He's so angry you trapped him, he wants to kill your kids for revenge. You're either about to create a big problem, or solve a problem. But you have to choose."

"Davy! Davy!" Roy could hear Garth's yells as he approached from across the street.

"He's coming now. Remember what I've told you. The lives of your children depend upon it."

David turned to face the approaching Garth. Roy retreated back behind the bush so Garth wouldn't see him.

"Davy!" Garth yelled from across the yard. He was running full speed and he slowed only as he neared Davy, kicking up dust as he slid to a stop.

"You've got to come over. The boy in the garage, he's asking for you. Frank's beat Sean real bad. The boy wants to help. He said, 'get Davy!" Come on!" Garth turned and began running back.

David glanced over to Roy. Roy winked at him. Then David followed Garth.

After half an hour David returned. He walked to the backyard, looking for Roy.

Roy was still behind the bush, waiting. "You're back."

"Yes," David said. "I did it. Well, most of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they saw the boy give me something, so I had to at least give them something or they would have known something was up."

"Did you give them the objects?"

"I gave them my pocket knife," David said, "and told them to put it under Frank's bed. But I kept the box and the powder." He pulled the small wooden matchbox and paper envelope from his back pocket, showing them to Roy.

"Good boy," Roy said, feeling a huge sense of relief. At least half of the plan had worked.

"I want that pocket knife back," David said. "My grandpa gave it to me."

That would be Thomas, Roy thought. The first writer in the book.

"Did you tell them to bring Frank back out to the garage?" Roy asked.

"Yes," David said. "They're going to hide the pocket knife tonight. Then they're gonna get him real teed off and trick him out to the garage tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Roy said. "Why not now?"

"Well, if I'm gonna shoot him, which I'm not saying I am, but if I am, I need to get the gun first, don't I?"

"You could get it now."

"No way, mister. My pop should be home any minute now. I won't be able to get his gun until he goes to work tomorrow, when mama's outside hanging laundry. Any other time and I'll get caught."

Roy was concerned the demon might not go for this. Still, he had to play it out, he couldn't quit halfway. The demon would take either Frank's soul or his, and he didn't want it to be his.

"All right, tomorrow then," Roy said. "What time tomorrow?"

"I don't know for sure. We're gonna talk tomorrow after they're back from working. Then they'll get Frank all riled up and make him follow them out to the garage."

"And when he gets to the garage, you'll shoot him?"

"I suppose so. I guess so. I don't know. Are you sure he'd kill Sean and Garth if we don't kill him first?"

"I'm sure. I've seen it."

"What else have you seen?"

Roy got the impression it was a test. He sighed. "You have a son," he said. "You're smarter than your father; you lock your guns away. But your son goes looking for the guns, just like you did. He doesn't find them, but he finds a book instead. A book that your father is going to give to you one day. When your son finds that book, you're going to be proud of him, and you're going to start training him, showing him how to use his gift, the same gift you have. And you're going to write in the book, so your son knows how to use his gift, and his son is going to read it too. And they're going to remember you, and how kind you were, because you trained them, you gave them the book, and you did this thing, killing Frank. And you're going to live a long, full life, full of happiness and success. You're going to help a lot of people, friends who need help. And when you die, your son is going to be very proud of you. Very proud."

David twisted and turned as Roy spoke. Roy couldn't tell if he believed what he was telling him or not.

"OK," David said. "I'll steal pop's gun tomorrow."

"Good boy," Roy said, wanting to reach out and ruffle his hair. "You'll save Sean and Garth, remember that."

"Davy!" came Leone's voice from the house. "Dinner!"

"I gotta go," David said.

"I'll be watching tomorrow," Roy said.

"All right," David said, turning to go. "Bye."